


One more doomed time and without much hope

by kukunamuniu (Hekseri)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Colonel Lieutenant Armitage Hux, DINOSAURS!!!, M/M, No First Order, Palpatine lives, Sith Kylo Ren, Spoilers for Phasma Novel, Stranded, The Empire didn't fall, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:28:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14562969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekseri/pseuds/kukunamuniu
Summary: The anniversary of the day Lord Darth Vader died protecting Excellent Emperor Palpatine is celebrated by every citizen of the Galactic Empire. His replacements keep changing, each seemingly less human than the predecessor.Hux isn't quite sure what to think when the Emperor's newest enforcer - Kylo Ren - volunteers to join him on-board his ship on the mission to quell a rebellion of an Outer Rim planet.Kylo doesn't know what draws him to Lekua 2, but the pull is too strong to resist. It helps that the Force keeps telling him he is destined to save a red-headed Colonel from certain doom and the man is headed there.Basically: Palpatine lives, Hux thinks Kylo is going to kill him, and I suck at summaries.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I feel bad for daring to post this as a part of the collection so late after the due date but oh well... yolo(?)  
> It really couldn't happen earlier because of real-life stuff. If a mod is reading this - I'm sorry, I know you guys worked hard to make this all happen, I think it's great that you dedicate your time and effort to this community.  
> BIG ENORMOUS THANKS TO  SOPHIE  who is the most forgiving of people and also the artist of the wonderful art to this fic which you will find here  1   
>  2  3  and my absolute favourite.   
> Seriously, thank you for your patience, understanding, and help in making this fic happen after all! Your art kept me inspired when I felt it was impossible to finish writing this. 
> 
> **This fic contains spoilers for Phasma novel - if you plan on reading it I would recommend doing that first.**
> 
> The title is from _Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere_ by Nick Cave  & The Bad Seeds

It was said that only the strongest survive, or at least that was what Brendol had always liked to remind his son: to survive in this world he had to stomp over the spineless lest he become one of them. And although Hux abhorred that old fuck, intentionally or not, he had taken to heart most of Brendol’s teachings. It felt good to be one of the strong, to be known as one of the _survivors_.

Askaela was a remote world that had never possessed much in a way of planetary security system or military force, so when the distress signal reached the neighbouring systems, sending any units, let alone two small divisions – OL4 and OL7 – seemed like an exercise in futility. Major General Keer Tull decided to do so anyway, thus condemning both divisions. From those who survived that impossible mission a new unit was formed – the X221 – and Hux was proud to be one of its members.

Walking to the bridge of his brand new ship _Starkiller_ in his brand new dress uniform that showed off the stripesof a Lieutenant Colonel, Hux wondered if the news of the commendation ceremony for all officers serving in the X221 had reached the ears of the Solaest Fleet who had graciously shown up few cycles late to “rescue” what remained of divisions OL4 and OL7 and tried to take all the credit for quashing the rebellion on Askaela. The thought of those obnoxious vac-heads made him sneer; if only had they arrived three cycles earlier, his unit wouldn’t have to go through hell.

But then he wouldn’t have been promoted, or on his way to a commendation ceremony that was said to be the Emperor’s own idea. 

Hux had never met Emperor Palpatine in person, he had seen him from afar during one official celebration or the other, but never up close. Now he felt giddy at the thought of being near enough to get a glimpse at what was hidden beneath the hood of his robe (he would never admit it but the stories about the time jedi attacked Palpatine always fascinated him). Being noticed by the head of the Galactic Empire was one of the best commendations for service an Imperial officer could get, especially so early in his career. It certainly never happened to Hux’s father, no matter how often the insufferable git had liked to point out he was highly respected by the Galactic authorities.

With what could possibly be taken for a spring in his step, Hux entered the bridge. It was the last stretch of their journey to Coruscant; all crew had been briefed and donned their best uniforms, looking as presentable as a member of the Imperial Army could.

As Starkille _r_ slowed down and prepared for landing, Hux did his best to stay focused on the string of commands from the flagship that sounded in the comm in his ear but doing so was surprisingly difficult; there was something about the unceasing chatter that made his skin crawl, spoiling his good mood. Hux shook his head to chase the feeling away but it didn’t work, neither did clenching his fists behind his back.

Starkiller was one of the smaller vessels belonging to the X221 and was allowed to make planetside while the others remained orbiting Coruscant manned by skeleton crew who were unlucky enough to have drawn the short straw. It was another advantage of finally being given command of his own vessel – no more ship duty during R&R Starkiller was small enough to be able to land on most planets and it gave his regiment a lot of liberty. It also left them more vulnerable to attack which could one day prove to be their downfall, but Hux chose not to think about it too often.

There was silence in the shuttle on their journey from base to the Imperial Palace. Some of the officers were napping in their seats, some, like Hux, stared at their holopads making arrangements for their planet leave – getting in touch with their families, checking their private inboxes.

Hux scrolled down the long list of unread messages ignoring them, looking for anything that would… matter. There was nobody waiting anxiously for a message from him. In fact, the only person outside of army who had been notified that he made it out of Askaela alive was his lawyer. During the slow hours of waiting for help to come Hux wondered if Raxann had already started looking for some distant relatives who could inherit his belongings. If he had found anyone, there was no mention of them in his short message with wishes of good health. There probably was only one Hux in this world and it was for the best.

He glanced at the lieutenant sitting beside him. Ever since they boarded and were allowed to access the holonet Victor hadn’t stopped typing for a single moment and the incessant tapping of his fingers against the screen made Hux’s skin crawl. What could he possibly be writing for so long? Surely, he wasn’t going to terrify his own family with the story of the days spent on Askaela? Not that it was Hux’s business if he did, Hux just didn’t understand how one could want to speak about it under any circumstances; to anyone.

He deleted all unread messages and replied to his lawyer, thanking him and asking to set up a meeting while he was on Coruscant. It was time he made a will, stars forbid some of his mother’s relatives appeared out of nowhere and inherited the hard earned Hux family money. He might have hated Brendol but he had always hated his mother more, whoever she was.

After editing and tweaking the message for as long as he possibly could, he sent it and then stared at the screen of his pad. What now? He had been briefed on the front situation while en route to Coruscant, all of his reports were ready, he had already arranged for his flat to be cleaned and stocked, he had never been much of a reader and politics bored him. He absolutely refused to sleep in front of his crew. It didn’t matter that most of the officers present had seen him in what he would categorize as the lowest moments in his entire life – _that_ was a different place and time, extreme situations called for extreme measures – but now they were back; civilization called for civilized behaviour. Sleeping in front of his subordinates was not done.

He looked from the viewport back to the screen of his pad. Victor kept on tapping on his, smiling softly. Definitely not writing about their mission, Hux concluded. He opened up the newest low clearance report on the stormtrooper program. Hux had hoped to be brought on to the program after his father’s death, if only as a courtesy, but years later he still had to follow the reports made accessible to any officer of the Imperial Army. Every time the access to some further information was blocked from him due to his low clearance level it made his heckles rise. He was not some random officer who was just curious about the project. He was the son of Brendol kriffing Hux, the revolutionary of the stormtrooper program! He had listened about it and watched its evolution ever since he was a little boy. Damn it, some of his upbringing probably looked exactly like stormtrooper training! He wouldn’t put it above Brendol - if it had worked on them it probably would work on his kid too, efficiency was the key.

Hux glared at Captain Thano who stared at him for a little too long. She had been doing that ever since she came back without her partner from the shift at the door to the bunker, to this day refusing to explain what had happened. Hux supposed it was something gruesome and involved the local wildlife, which was an explanation enough as long as he was concerned. Thano kept on staring despite Hux’s glaring **.** The empty-eyed nutcase probably hadn’t even noticed the tension she inadvertently caused. However, some officers _had_ noticed it and shifted in their seats uneasily, but none dared to address the issue. Finally, Hux was distracted by a sudden stop in the tapping right next to him. He looked to his left. Victor had finished his writing and moved on to swiping through pictures and grinning like a lunatic. If this continued throughout their whole journey to the Palace Hux was going to break his pad into little pieces and then force them down lieutenant’s throat.

He was rereading the same report for the fourth time when they finally arrived to their destination. Even the Federal District, as distinct from other places on Coruscant as it was, could not escape the ever present noise and foul smell; before getting off the shuttle Hux braced himself for a sudden change of surroundings but it was still hard to act as if he were unaffected by the cacophony of sounds that suddenly surrounded him. In the corner of his eye he saw few officers wince before they followed his lead and schooled their expressions. Kriffing Thano didn’t even blink, she looked fresh and put together. Hux felt like wringing her neck.

A droid led Hux’s regiment to the hall outside the throne chamber where most of the X221 had already been waiting. By the time the doors opened Hux was almost shaking with anxiety, the palms of his hands hurting in the places where he dug his nails.

As the X221 walked in perfect formation into the throne chamber Hux felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up one by one. The room was dark, only the throne and the path to it were visible thanks to the lights installed under the floor panels. It was easy to tell though that the chamber was vast – their steps echoed creating an impression that a whole army was marching for the Emperor’s pleasure.

The path they walked was flanked by Novatroopers. Most of their black armour blended in with the shadows but its golden parts gleamed, making them seem all that much astonishing. Hux had only seen a small squad of them – his father had taken Hux with him on a trip to Pollus II aboard _Infinity_ and the troopers were escorting some kind of official; Brendol wouldn’t stop babbling about them, but whacked Hux over the head when he (in an awkward attempt to please his father) expressed a desire to become one. It was only months later that he understood what stormtroopers were to Brendol: breathing weapons; and Hux’s destiny was to become the finger that pulled their trigger. He never made that mistake again.

Right at the foot of the stairs that led to the throne stood four Imperial Guards with powered-off electro staffs in their hands. Hux avoided looking at them for too long – it was said they were powerful force users who could read one’s mind at will; that’s what made them such good bodyguards.

The X221 were in the presence of the best soldiers the Galactic Empire had to offer, so it was reasonable that seeing General Tagge standing next to the Emperor’s Guard almost made Hux falter in his step. Tagge had no connection to the X221, neither was he a particularly honored General. There was no reason why he should be present for the ceremony.

There was a long silence before the Emperor’s croaking voice reverberated in the vast space. “I am glad to finally have met the famous X221 division. The news of your valour reached Coruscant immediately, and the whole planet, the whole Galaxy in fact, awaited news of your mission with battered breath. I wanted to personally thank you all for your service to the Empire, you’ve fought admirably and your sacrifice, the sacrifice of your comrades who did not return from Askaela, shall not be forgotten or swept aside.”

The Emperor paused for a moment and the gathered officers stood at attention – dedicating a moment of silence to those who did not make it back. Hux repressed the images of empty faces they left behind and the thought that his might have been one of them. It was neither the time nor the place for such thoughts, if there even existed one.

“You shall be rewarded. For this very purpose I invited General Tagge to award you with the Imperial Medal of Valour.”

Medal of Valour – if Hux recalled correctly, which of course he did – was something Brendol had never been awarded with, being a man of no significant bravery. He would have probably scoffed at Hux being awarded it too. His father never missed an opportunity to show his contempt for people who put themselves in danger instead of making others take the risk. And for the most part Hux was inclined to do so as well. But there was something to be said about taking the matters into your own hands, about coming up close to the danger and spitting it in the eye.

There were few more words spoken about the significance of their victory, the role it played in boosting the national spirit before Tagge approached and started pinning medals on their breasts. It was hard to fight the urge to glance at the General slowly working his way up to where Hux was standing, so he fixed his gaze ahead – to where the Emperor was sitting.

That’s how he noticed there was someone standing in the shadows. At first he didn’t see it, as dark as the area behind the throne was; but then the figure moved, drawing his attention to this particular spot in the shadows. Hux squinted trying to make out if it was just his imagination, but then the figure moved again and Hux was certain that indeed, there was someone standing few steps to the right of the throne. There could only be one person allowed so closely to the Emperor – Kylo Ren.

Just like with the Palpatine – Hux had never met Kylo Ren in person. Which was a good sign. The fact that he dealt with most of the off-record executions was an open secret known to all citizens. After the famous Darth Vader died protecting the Emperor from being assassinated by a rebel jedi Palpatine’s pet force users kept changing names until Kylo Ren appeared. True identities of these people, their species, faces, even the sound of their voices, had always been a mystery to all. There were theories, some more popular than others, but there never was any confirmation – no one ever dared to ask.

A _friend_ of Brendol’s once pointed out to him the growing decline in the presence of Palpatine’s mystics. He had said to Hux, as they sat next to each other at a dinner party, “Of course most were terrified of him, called him a monster behind his back, but Vader had a… personality. You never saw the man’s face but you just knew there was _somebody_ walking around in that suit. Darth Vicis on the other hand? He may not be wearing any kind of body suit but I sometimes wonder if there even is anyone under that mask of his. Mark my words, the next one is going to be even worse, a walking weapon, empty inside.” Hux had thought that was exactly what Brendol was trying to achieve with his stormtroopers but didn’t say so aloud, instead he smiled politely and asked for more stories about the famous Sith Lord.

No one else seemed to notice when Kylo Ren turned towards them, tilting his head slightly, as if listening for something beyond the Tagge’s repetitive congratulations. A cold feeling settled in Hux’s stomach and reminded him of the rumours of Kylo Ren’s ability to read minds. Hux barely managed to keep his expression neutral as it was his turn to accept General’s congratulations. He mumbled few thanks, keeping with protocol and breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Tagge moved on to the officer on his left.

When the ceremony neared its end and the Emperor was finishing his speech, Hux dared to glance at Kylo Ren again – he hadn’t moved an inch. He was standing at the same spot, with his head still tilted to the side, listening; but for what? Hux had never been good at reading body language but at that moment he could have sworn Kylo Ren looked expectant, like he was hearing something long anticipated at last.

The X221 were ready to march out when the door behind them opened and a staff officer came striding right towards the stairs of the throne, without sparing the gapping officers so much as a passing glance. She climbed the stairs confidently and after relying something to the Emperor handed him a holopad.

The silence was tense as they waited for the Emperor to dismiss them. When Palpatine finally handed back the holopad he remained silent, seemingly not paying any attention to the officers watching his every move from the bottom of the stairs. All stood at attention when he from rose the throne.

“It would appear it is not the time for you to rest just yet, X221. We’ve received news of another coop that needs to be put to an end immediately. We’ve decided it would be best if that mission was entrusted to you. Major General Tser, expect to be briefed by the end of today’s cycle. As for your unit: comfort yourselves with the thought that you are bringing much needed peace to the Empire, its subjects rely on you for their protection.” Palpatine let those words sink in before he continued, next words causing some of Hux’s fellow officers to fidget. “You will be accompanied by my trusted advisor Kylo Ren who will join General Tser aboard the Finalizer.”

“No.”

A stunned silence followed. The Emperor turned towards Kylo Ren and looked at him until he continued in a monotone tone, with breaks between the sentences that were too short to be outright noticeable but long enough to be off putting.

“Your Imperial Majesty, it is the Force. With your permission, I will go aboard the Starkiller.”

Hux felt as if he’d been punched in the gut, all air deflated from his lungs in a one surprised sigh. No one else dared to react but he could feel the curious glances of his colleagues.

In a split second he realized something he should have known from the moment he saw their ships blow up on Askaela – he was doomed to die a gruesome death, if not at the hands of the rebels and their beasts then by the hands of a Sith Lord. No matter what he did his time among the living was over.

His mind reeled in search of a reason why would Kylo Ren make such a demand. Was he to be silently gotten rid of? Was that the plan? But then why hadn’t Palpatine suggested he join Hux’s crew in the first place? Was it to confuse him?

Was it all because of his father? Had Phasma talked? Or was it the stormtrooper who found out the truth about Brendol’s death? Phasma reassured him he was taken care of and Hux had always assumed, foolishly perhaps, that the trooper’s disappearance meant he was dead. What if he had escaped? What if he found proof and the Emperor had been informed?

It couldn’t be. Why would Emperor trust a word of a stormtrooper who had abandoned his post? The evidence tying Hux to Brendol’s death would have been circumstantial, Hux made sure of that.

“Never let anyone corner you with the dirt from your past, boy. Find a scapegoat, don’t leave evidence behind, always have an alibi,” Brendol used to say and Hux, like a good son, did just that.

Cardinal, his father’s favourite stormtrooper, came to Hux with the evidence incriminating Phasma and not only did Hux not help him reveal it to the authorities, he did his best to cover up the whole thing – he rather liked the mystery illness behind his father’s death to remain unsolved.

But what if there was something they missed?

What if Kylo Ren read his mind and just _knew_? People kept saying he could do that. It always seemed like absolute bullshit, but what if it wasn’t?

There was not enough evidence for a trial, but a strong suspicion was enough for a quiet execution followed by a rumour that explained the crime of the condemned; this sort of thing was done often when an officer needed to be punished.

Hux barely registered it when the Emperor dismissed the X221. Habit and long hours of drill at the Academy kept him from breaking formation as they walked out of the throne chamber and to the landing platform.

None of his fellow officers tried to talk to him, giving him a wide berth, as if the death sentence hanging above his head was contagious. Hux ignored them and got on the first public shuttle in the direction of Level 5002 where most of the military accommodations were located.

The other passengers on the shuttle kept throwing him curious looks but after he glared at the old woman who tried to strike up a conversation about her grandson who was a petty officer no one else dared to approach him. In fact, no one even dared to sit on the seat beside him; that was just fine with Hux.

Phasma arrived minutes after he walked into his flat and made herself at home on his sofa. Hux frowned but did not say a word, it wouldn’t make a difference. When he first met her she was just a new recruit Brendol brought with him after surviving a crash on Parnassos and Hux didn’t think much of her. She seemed like a dumb, blind admirer, another Cardinal, that would follow Brendol’s orders and dare not have any sort of personality of her own. One evening Hux discovered she was something entirely else. Of course, when in Brendol’s company she behaved the way he liked her to behave – she was obedient, resourceful, and anonymous; one with her armour.

Once in a while Brendol would organize a dinner party for his favourites in order to make them feel special and thus more loyal to him. Hux had always hated them, all the mindless flatters, sycophants that smiled and nodded till they cheeks and necks hurt. They even went out of their way to be nice to Hux, as if it mattered to Brendol in the slightest.

It was during one of those meetings that Phasma approached him with a proposition to aid her in covering up Brendol’s murder.

Hux was stepping out of the fresher when she pushed him back inside and closed the door behind them. Disbelief had rendered him speechless and he stood gaping at her until she took out a little box out of her pocket and placed it on a shelf. Still not understanding what exactly was happening, he made a move to take it but she caught him by the wrist before he could touch it.

“What are you doing?!”

“Shh. They’ll hear you.”

“Well good. I don’t want them to-“

“Be silent.”

Hux wrenched his hand from her grip and glared. He had never been addressed so sternly by anyone besides Brendol. No one had ever dared to manhandle him so – he was the Commandant’s son, he was not to be touched or threatened.

“Has your father told you anything of the time he spent on Parnassos?”

“Your home planet? He told me it was a miserable backwater world unworthy of Imperial attention.”

Phasma smiled at that; it was an ugly, wry smile.

“And what did he tell you about these?” She held out the box for him to see. It contained a small green beetle, moving about from side to side frantically. “Nothing?” she asked disappointed. “One bite of this,” she shook the box, making the beetle lose its footing and fall on its back, “will liquefy the body from inside out. I’ve seen people devoured in seconds by hundreds of these beetles. Have only the one, but its venom is still as effective. There is no cure. As you said – Parnassos is a dirtball, there are no records of the species living there.”

This time when Hux reached for the box she let him take it. He peered at the insect with interest; it was waving its legs in the air hopelessly. How could such a pathetic little creature be so dangerous, he wondered.

“And you’re proposing…?” He glanced at her when she didn’t speak. “Please do spell it out for me, I’d rather avoid any misunderstandings.”

“I know you hate him.” Hux shrugged in response. “I need somebody close to him who will make sure no one is looking too closely at the origins of his mysterious…. illness.”

Years later Hux would still think about how easy it had been to simply say, “Okay. I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

And that was it, a bond between them was created. He wouldn’t call it friendship. He never trusted her, quite rightly so, she was a perfidious opportunistic egotistand he made certain never to forget that, but there was a side to both of them that nobody else knew and, in a way, having someone _know_ felt like a strange kind of kinship.

Of course, he had never told her that – Phasma, he was sure, possessed no capacity for human emotion and would only mock him.

So he let her sprawl on his sofa and renewed his nervous pacing.

“What happened?”

“What did you do to the stormtrooper? The one who found out about the whole thing? Cardinal?”

Phasma’s frown made his heart stop. “I beat him to a pulp, destroyed all evidence he had and left him on the floor of the gym on the Absolution. Then he disappeared.”

“Please tell me this is a euphemism.”

“He deflected.”

Hux swore, tugging at his hair painfully. “My divisionis going to Lekua 2. Kylo Ren-“ he took a steadying breath and collapsed on the seat next to Phasma. “Kylo Ren is to accompany me on board of my ship.”

“Oh.”

Hux chuckled hysterically. Even she had assumed he was to be quietly disposed of. _A battle casualty, such a tragedy, the late Commandant Hux’s son! What a waste of potential…_ People would say afterwards, right before asking for more details.

“You’re sure it’s about Brendol?”

“What else could it be about?!” he snapped at her, not liking the hope in her voice. “They will be coming for you too.”

“Are you going to tell them about me?”

“No need. If they know about me then they know about you. Cardinal only disliked me, he _hated_ you.”

“What do you want to do? Run?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no running form the Empire.”

“Cardinal ran.”

Hux glared at her. “Well he- I’m not running anywhere.”

“Suit yourself.”

Feeling as if he had already been killed, left alone with a cauterized hole in his stomach, Hux stared at the wall for hours after she had left. Then, prompted by nothing in particular, he stood up and went about his preparations for the next day. He did not expect a full night’s sleep and was proven right.

===

The briefing did nothing to help him regain a sense of normalcy as he had hoped it would. All his fellow officers suddenly looked tired and gaunt, as if one night of R&R did more bad than good to every single member of their division. Most were complaining in little groups they had broken into after the briefing was finished. Usually, Hux would be among them, cursing the Rebellion and the way the Imperial Military kept stretching thinner and thinner with the unrest and riots breaking out all over the Galaxy. But this time he stayed in his seat, circling a finger round the rim of a water glass in front of him; thinking.

Somehow Cardinal managed to gather evidence proving his involvement in Brendol’s death. There was no other possible reason why Kylo Ren would be sent to quietly kill him in midst of battle. That Kylo Ren’s “request” was simply a ruse meant to confuse him was obvious to Hux and he gave up on trying to find another explanation. He would not lose his dignity in what surely were his last hours.

There was nothing he could do. Deflecting was out of the question. It was easy for Phasma to say: take a ship and go. Go where? Do what? There was nothing for him beyond the Empire. It was hard to believe there even was life outside of the Galactic Empire.

It felt… strange. Last night all the other officers were either spending time with their families and friends or getting drunk at _The Stepping Acklay_ ; Hux spent that evening talking to Phasma, of all people, and tossing and turning in his bed – alternating between worrying about the deployment to Lekua 2 and doing his best to keep the memories of his last mission at bay.

He wondered what would happen to all his belongings, there was no family to speak of and he had never written a will. Even while on Askaela he didn’t dare to entertain the thought of dividing his possessions among those who knew him. It was a game his companions played in the breaks between rounds of shelling – as the hours dragged on they changed the inheritors from family to more and more outrageous individuals.

Hux had refused to join them then. Now, as ridiculous as it might sound, he couldn’t stop thinking – what was going to happen to his small arms collection? Would some clerk auction it off and appropriate the funds into the budget? Years of assembling, hours spent looking for parts and researching the proper ways of maintaining them down the drain. Hux scowled at the thought.

General Tser’s voice interrupted his thoughts, “Colonel,” Hux jumped to his feet, straightening his uniform. “I’m leaving the matter of contacting Kylo Ren to you. Make sure he is informed of our planned departure time asap.”

“Sir? If I may… I’ve been wondering if you knew where I could find Kylo Ren’s comm details?”

Tser’s grimace told him everything he needed to know. “You’re on your own Colonel, I’m sure you’ll find a solution.”

Hux glared hatefully at Tser’s retreating back. What a cock. _I’m sure you’ll find a solution._ He had to or he would be bloody toast.

For lack of a better idea he left the command centre and headed in the direction of the Imperial Palace. As the repulsorcab drew nearer and nearer to thePalace he pushed all unnecessary thoughts out of his mind, instead, he looked through the viewport. He had never liked Coruscant but after Brendol died it only made sense to buy a flat here. Hux couldn’t imagine living in their house on Arkanis, not after he had helped cover up his father’s murder.

He came in through the public entrance. The variety of people coming and going made his uniform look like the least impressing article of clothing one could wear. No one so much as glanced his way. Few even bumped into him but were gone before he could spot who they were and make sure they regretted disrespecting an Imperial officer.

He approached the first staff droid he could find.

“Welcome to Palace of the Great Galactic Empire, home to the Excellent Emperor Palpatine. My name is QA329, how may I help you?”

“Lieutenant Colonel Armitage Hux with a message for Kylo Ren.” 

It was absolutely useless for a _droid_ to look stunned, why would anyone think of programming them to do that? Hux thought to himself as he waited for it to reply, feeling like a fool.

“Message for Kylo Ren?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Of course sir, please take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly.”

Hux sat next to a finely dressed Twi’lek who appeared to be sleeping with her chin rested on her breast. QA329 disappeared in the crowd and Hux wondered if it would ever come back. It seemed probable that he was the first person trying to contact Kylo Ren and the droid was so terrified by the prospect of fulfilling his request that it went off to run into the nearest incinerator.

The droid came back sooner than Hux had expected. Although to be fair, he couldn’t tell if it was QA329 or a different droid.

He followed it and said nothing when they took a lift that stood a little bit farther down the hall instead of one of those used by colourfully dressed officials. Inside there was no mapscreen where one could monitor lift’s movement, instead there was a simple keypad into which QA329 (presumably) keyed in a long series of symbols that meant nothing to Hux.

He held on to a bar as the lift moved smoothly in all kinds of directions, none of which was up. When the lift door opened it was to an empty unmarked corridor. The sharp contrast between it and the entrance hall made the hairs at the back of Hux’s neck stand. The splendour of all other places in the Palace he had been to was nowhere to be found. Instead, the floor was plain and grey, there were evenly spaced doors on both sides with little plaques on the right side of each, all empty. Hux expected either a conference room or a mystical shire; it looked like neither.

“QA329, where are we going?”

“I’ve been instructed to escort you to Lord Ren’s private quarters, sir.”

“Oh.”

Of course Kylo Ren had some kind of…. living arrangements. It would be ridiculous to think that he didn’t. Except that it felt strange trying to imagine Kylo Ren doing something as mundane as sleeping or eating. Couldn’t the force sustain him? Hux had heard Darth Vader never ate and spent all of his downtime in a peculiar orb-shaped chamber and expected Kylo Ren to do the same.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He was being led to Kylo Ren’s _private chambers,_ a place where he, presumably, relaxed. Was Hux going to see him maskless? An uneasy excitement stirred within him. It was quite possible he would be one of very few people in the whole Galaxy to look upon Kylo Ren’s true face.

And not live to tell the tale. Probably.

All of his excitement vanished.

He was on his way to set a date with his soon-to-be executioner. Like a nerf on its way to the slaughter. He stopped.

What was he doing? He didn’t want to die. He did not deserve to die! Brendol was a miserable git who had it coming. The Emperor should _thank him._ Anything Brendol could do Hux could do better. He should protest. He should do something. He should run. Pack his things and go. No one would look for him until tomorrow. He could leave Coruscant and just go somewhere. If smugglers could elude the authorities then so could he; how hard could it be?

What would QA329 do if he turned around and walked out? Would it try to stop him?

“Colonel?” The droid in question stopped few steps in front of Hux. “Is something wrong?” Hux almost snorted. Everything was wrong. This whole situation was wrong. He wanted to _run._ “Are you coming?”

“Yes, of course. Lead the way.”

He took one step forward. Then another.

They stopped next to a door that had nothing distinguishing it from all the others they had passed. QA329 pressed one of three keys on the keypad and stepped aside.

There was a loud bang, as if something collapsed behind the door, and a sound that resembled a voice but Hux couldn’t hear what it said.

After an uncomfortably long moment the door burst open.

“What do you want?”

The first thing Hux noticed was that Kylo Ren wore the mask. Then, that he really was as large as he always seemed to be - he blocked the entire entrance just by standing it. Not that Hux would risk peeking inside. He shouldn’t even be thinking about it, since there was a possibility that Kylo Ren could read minds. Or so they said, he hadn’t decided yet if he believed it or not.

“Lord Ren, I apologize for the intrusion. Unfortunately, none in the unit had any means of contacting you…” he paused in hopes that Kylo Ren would offer some kind of response – his comm details preferably. The uncomfortable silence stretched for a little bit too long before Hux gave up and continued, “The X221 depart at 03000. The Starkilleris docked in bay TT158, boarding starts at 01050.”

The only thing that could be heard in the empty corridor was the amplified sound of Kylo Ren’s measured breathing as Hux waited for some kind of reaction. Which did not come. So Hux did the only thing that seemed reasonable – he nodded and walked away.

He did not hear the sound of door closing as he made his way to the lift. It made his skin crawl.

===

It was 03000 Standard Galactic Time and Kylo Ren was nowhere to be seen. Hux had inspected all of his troops _twice._ All equipment had been secured in the cargo hold. Most of the division had already exited the Coruscant atmosphere.

“Colonel Hux?” General’s voice in his ear made Hux cringe. “Report.”

He took a steadying breath before pressing on the comm in his ear. “Sir, we are ready to take off, except Kylo Ren isn’t here yet.”

There was a long pause before Tser spoke again. “And you have informed him of the scheduled time, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

Hux smiled slightly in understanding at General’s heavy sigh. “Keep us posted, Colonel.” 

He looked at the crew gathered around him on the bridge. They all pretended there was nothing unusual about the delay or their tardy passenger. What were they thinking? Did any of them have the same suspicions as Hux had? Or did they simply think it was odd that someone with such a high standing as Lord Kylo Ren travelled aboard a lesser vessel when he could be on the Finalizer _?_

Sighing in resignation, Hux went back outside to wait for Kylo Ren. Mitaka was still there, his posture slumping slightly – he’d been standing in the exact same spot for almost an hour.

Hux was doing another unnecessary check up when the sound of hushed voices and heavy steps made him raise his head from the holopad. Kylo Ren was striding through the hangar – Hux glanced at the chrono – over an _hour_ past the scheduled take off. What the hell was he thinking?

Hux did his best to appear calm and collected as Ren passed him by without a word. “I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the right bay, Lord Ren.”

Ren stopped halfway on the ramp and turned towards him. Their position forced Hux to look up at him and it added to his bad mood.

“No.”

“Well. That’s good to hear.”

“Is it?”

Hux quashed his rising anger and swallowed down the bile that gathered in his throat before speaking. “Of course.”

“You don’t look pleased, Colonel.”

Bastard even had the gall to sound smug. Hux was not going to stoop so low and continue this inane conversation. He climbed aboard his ship without further word. Again, he felt Kylo Ren watching him as he walked, and again he did not react.

===

Over the course of their journey it turned into a routine – Kylo Ren followed him everywhere, watching; while Hux acted as if he didn’t exist. It took five cycles to get from Coruscant to Lekua 2. Hux almost made it without speaking a word to Ren.

Almost.

Just like every day of their journey, Hux was standing on the bridge, keeping an eye on the proceedings. Just like every day of their journey, Kylo Ren was standing few steps behind him, right in the middle of the walkway.

It would have been fine if it hadn’t been for kriffing Mitaka.

They were readying to exit the hyperspace and the Lieutenant was coming back from a cargo bay check with his nose in a holopad, and instead of doing what all crew did these last few days – sidestepping Kylo Ren and moving on as if there was nothing unusual about him standing _right in the middle of the bridge_ – Mitaka walked right into him.

The silence that followed was deafening. Still, Hux refused to turn around. Until he heard gasps from the crew. The scene behind him should not have surprised him as much as it did.

Kylo Ren had his hand around Mitaka’s throat, squeezing hard, but not hard enough to kill him. Nevertheless, there were other officers present, officers that looked up to Hux; and Mitaka kept throwing him these pleading looks that were _embarrassing._

Just like that it did not matter anymore that Kylo Ren was his superior, it did not matter that his job was to kill Hux at an opportune moment, it did not matter what Hux did or said – he was going to die by Kylo Ren’s hand anyway, then why should he cower before that _creature?_

“Lord Ren.” When Ren didn’t react Hux walked right up to him, saying the next words right into his ear – if he had one under the helmet, “Let him go.” Kylo Ren loosened his grip on Mitaka and turned towards Hux who did not wait for him to speak. “Follow me.”

They walked out into an empty hallway. First, Hux made sure they were alone and not in view of surveillance cameras before rounding on Ren, “This will never happen again.”

“It might.”

Hux growled in frustration and clenched his shaking hands; a breath away from taking a swing at him.

“Is there anything I can help you with? Anything that would stop you following me?”

“It’s the will of the Force.”

Hux blinked in surprise. “The will of the-“

“I’ve seen it.”

“Seen what?”

“I’m going to save your life.”

“Save my- what in the blazes are you talking about? Well? Tell me. What are you going to save me from?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t- you’ve just said you saw it happen.”

“You can’t comprehend the workings of the Force. I can’t explain the colours to the blind.”

“The colours- hey, don’t walk away from me, you idiot. _Explain.”_

Luckily for Ren, Hux was stopped from following him by Lieutenant Moore’s voice in his ear, “Sir? We’re going out of hyperspace. ETA for the rendezvous point is two minutes.”

Hux banged his fist against the wall. Fucking Ren and his fucking inability to hold a proper conversation. What was Hux supposed to think now?

Apparently, it wasn’t his time to die just now; he was going to be saved by an inept mystic who wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to save Hux from. But he was going to save him. He’d _seen_ it happen.

Kriffing hell.

===

They were welcomed by a lot more firepower than expected. Somehow, the Rebellion managed to equip Lekua 2 with an ion canon of quite formidable power. This and a fleet of X-wings that greeted them the moment they went out of hyperspace prevented the X221 from making a landing as was planned. In fact, it went against all their preparations. The intel they had on Lekuan System indicated that it was impossible for Lekua 2 to arm itself in any form of sophisticated planetary defence system and according to NavInt all of the Rebel fleet were scattered across Outer Rim in the area of Hoth sector. The outbreak on Lekua 2 seemed like a spontaneous event; not a trap set by the Rebels.

Breaking through these defences was a job for the Navy, not the X221 as they were an army division who just happened to have some ships as most units tended to these days. Of course, the Imperial Army was not made out of weaklings and quitters so they pressed on, but the situation was getting worse by the minute. Soon enough it all went to shit.

“Sir, our shields have just been manually deactivated.”

Hux felt as if someone gripped him by the intestines and squeezed.

“Deactivated? Manually? What are you talking about, Mitaka?”

Hux barely kept his balance and dignity as the ship lurched, narrowly avoiding a blast from the ion canon thanks to Lieutenant Un-Haku’s reflexes. He took a seat in the command chair – something he had never done before because it made him feel lazy but it was preferable to being tossed all over the bridge.

“Lieutenant Colonel Hux to the Finalizer. Our shields are down. We need cover before we get them back up.”

There was a moment of silence that made Hux start sweating inside his uniform.

“Colonel, this is Captain Lee, OP8 Company, we can give you few minutes.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Few minutes was not enough. “Mitaka, what about those shields?”

“A trooper, designation FN2187, logged into the control room last, three minutes later our shields were down, sir. No record of him exiting.”

Over the buzz of officers transmitting commands an unusually calm voice of Kylo Ren rang out, “Treason? From one of your own? How surprising.”

“Not now,” Hux snapped, making few of the officers stop what they were doing to stare at him. He glared until they got back to work. “Have Captain Crane deal with it. Fast.”

Suddenly, the whole ship shook with a force that made his teeth rattle. The alarms started blaring even before Hux could comprehend what had just happened. And what had just happened was disastrous.

“Report.”

“We’ve lost areas from H to N. R and V are being cut off right now. Our wrap drive and two of the engines are gone. We may experience some problems with the on board gravity field.”

 _Fuck._ Fucking shit, blast it. The rebels were bloody good shots.

“Everybody strap in.”

The Starkiller shook again and Hux lost all hope his ship would weather this storm. Was this what Kylo Ren was so adamant to save him from?

“Report.”

“I- sir. They hit dock B02. Our life supp-“

“I know what’s in there!” Hux cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing, “Commence evacuation. Make sure all head planetside, not to the Finalizer – its shields won’t let them through. Now, let’s make some use of the remains of our engines. Thont, transfer some of the power to our rear engines. Ordo, seal off cargo hold, have the troops and crew evacuate sector by sector and seal off as they leave; we need that oxygen. How long we have left?”

“Twenty minutes, sir.”

“Well then. I want the whole regiment evacuated in fifteen. Make it happen, Lieutenant.”

For the next eighteen minutes they tried to keep the Starkiller from falling apart. When it was finally their time to evacuate, the bridge crew made their way to the capsules. A hand grabbed Hux by the elbow as he neared one where most of the officers were already strapping in.

“Not that one.”

Kylo Ren didn’t give him the time to protest. He shoved Hux into another capsule and then into the pilot seat as he sealed the door behind them.

“I trust you know what you’re doing.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

Hux steered their capsule towards Lekua 2 dodging the shots of the Rebels and the floating debris of his own ship. He tried not to think about it when he saw capsule after capsule shot before it could reach the planet surface. They almost got hit too. Hux tensed as he saw a blast coming their way with not enough time to dodge it. A second passed and their capsule was still making its way towards the planet. Hux blinked in confusion.

The blast pulse stopped.

“Get us off the trajectory. Now.”

He looked at Kylo Ren’s outstretched hand, then at the unmoving projectile.

“Can you do that again?”

“Can’t hold it for long.”

“It’ll do.”

A tiny glimmer of hope was all Hux needed. He swerved between the debris, trusting Kylo to stop the incoming blasts from reaching their destination. As they neared the surface of Lekua 2 the chances of making a smooth landing looked more and more slim. The planet seemed like a one big forest from afar, and Hux remembered from the briefing that the trees were supposed to be enormous, big enough that they could cause quite a damage to a ship of Starkiller’s size. There was no way their capsule could withstand a collision with one of those trees.

Hux shared his concerns with Ren right before they entered the planet’s atmosphere and had to hold back a derisive snort when he heard his answer.

“I’ll keep you safe.”

The landing was rough. That was all Hux could say about it; they barely missed the enormous branches and crushed into the ground with velocity bigger than ideal. They waited for the flames outside to lower before Kylo Ren cut a hole in the capsule’s side with his lightsaber. And what a sight that was. Hux had only ever heard about lightsabers before and it made quite the impression on him. He dreamed about wielding so much power in one hand; killing with it seemed much more personal than shooting a blaster and all more satisfying.

They landed in a glade. The tree branches let little sunlight in but the dying fire around their capsule made it easy to make out the details of their surroundings. There was very little undergrowth and what did managed to survive on the ground was surprisingly colourful and gnarly.

Suddenly, what little sky was visible above them started turning pink. Seeing Kylo frown Hux wondered if he had ever seen a monolithic deflector shield go up on the planetary scale.

“That’s the planetary shield, they’ll have cut all outbound transmissions by now.” Just to be sure he tried to contact the Finalizer through the commpiece in his ear. “We’re on our own.”

“I- no.”

“What? Can you… _sense_ something?”

“There was- I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!”

Ren reignited his lightsaber and pointed it warningly at Hux; then he stumbled for no apparent reason. During a feeble attempt to regain his balance Ren touched his side with one of the cross guards and screamed out in pain. The distorted sound of his voice from inside the helmet made it all more disturbing.

Hux stared at him in confusion. Was he being attacked? Was this how force battle looked like? It seemed reasonable to assume the Rebellion had some Jedi stowed away, like the assassin who killed Darth Vader on the second Death Star.

When Hux heard the approaching vehicles it was too late to do anything beyond drawing his blaster; he would have heard them earlier if it wasn’t for Ren’s heavy breathing.

There was nine of them, they came on speeders and immediately surrounded them. Hux glanced at Ren, trying to gauge his usefulness – he was swaying slightly but kept his lightsaber at the ready. Hux looked back at the rebels surrounding them. Could he trust Ren to stop the blasts before they reached their destination?

“Do something,” he whispered. His heart dropped when Ren didn’t react. “You idiot, they’ll kill us.”

“You have until I count to ten to lower your weapons,” said one of the rebels and aimed her blaster at Hux’s chest, the others followed her lead.

Hux sent Ren a nervous look while the rebel started counting. Was he going to do anything? Was he even aware of what was happening?

“Ren?”

“It’s not- I- It’s not there Hux,” Ren’s voice shook as he forced the words out.

“What isn’t?”

“The force. It left me.”

Slowly, Hux put his blaster on the ground and raised his hands. “Turn it off, you idiot,” he hissed when Ren didn’t move and some of the rebels started shifting impatiently.

Ren turned his head towards Hux as if he needed time to process what he had heard before switching off the lightsaber. One of the rebels approached them, collected their weapons and bound their hands. The rest drew closer on their speeders, encircling them snuggly. The air warmed up by their engines made Hux sweat inside his thick uniform. He didn’t dare wipe it off his face.

There was a hiss behind him and he only understood what had happened when he saw one of the rebels climb back on her speeder with Ren’s helmet under her arm. They started walking through the woods. Ren’s footsteps sounded heavy and his murmuring made jittery rebels glance at him time and again. Soon enough even Hux’s resolve met its end and he looked behind too.

He didn’t know what he had expected. He supposed whatever Kylo Ren looked like, he would have been surprised. What first came to mind was that Kylo looked lost and completely terrified. Not of their captors but in general. Somebody with that much power should not be capable of looking like this. Disgustingly vulnerable. Few days before Hux had thought he was going to die at his hand. In different circumstances, he would have laughed.

They arrived to the rebel ship after an hour. Hux sat down right next to Ren as the Rebels loaded their speeders and leaned in the moment he saw nobody was looking too closely at the captives.

“You need to get us out.” Kylo eyed him with a confused look on his face. “They’re taking us to their base and nothing pleasant awaits there. Torture, interrogation, and painful death.”

“I can’t help you.”

“Yes, you can. You said so.”

“I can’t.”

“Use the kriffing force, damn it. It’s supposed to be everywhere, isn’t it?”

“Yes. But-“

“So it’s even here?” he waited for Kylo to nod miserably and pushed on, grabbing him by the arm and shaking. “Then fucking use it already. Kill them all and get us out of this mess.”

Kylo shrugged him off and hid his face between the arms.

“I _can’t._ I can’t feel my Master here. You don’t understand-“

“You don’t need him.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do. Fuck your Master. Kill them _now,_ crush their skulls, stop their hearts; I don’t care.”

“You wouldn’t dare say that if you knew who he was.”

“It’s not so fucking hard to figure out. Fuck Palpatine, you’re powerful enough on your own. _Kill them.”_ There was only one speeder left to load and two of their captors were already approaching. Hux gripped Kylo painfully by the arm and didn’t let go this time when he tried to shrug him off. He leaned in again and spoke directly into Kylo’s ear, “You bloody promised. I believed you. Now kill those kriffing rebels before they take us to their base. You listening to me? Kill them. Now. Kill them! You useless moron! Kill them!”

The force with which he was tossed back knocked the wind out of him.

“Leave me be!”

There were several loud thuds as their captors collapsed to the ground. Hux scrambled to his feet and looked around in astonishment. He did it. The rebels were all dead. Hux looked back to Kylo to comment on this but the man already had his head back between his arms.

Feeling positively giddy Hux strode towards the rebel ship but his spirits fell as soon as he climbed aboard. The power was out. Not even the emergency lights were on. He pushed a couple of buttons just to make sure and swore profusely when nothing happened. The idiot had overdone it.

Hux walked back outside and yelled, “Any chance you can get the power back on?”

A long reproachful glare was his answer.

After he had found the key to the binders he went through the ship, picking up some of things that were still functional. He briefly considered giving Kylo Ren his lightsaber back but then decided against it – he was too unstable. Hux hid it in a backpack along with the holomap he had found in the cockpit and some packets of food with the ‘edible for humans’ stamps on them.

Kylo Ren was right where he had left him, brooding few feet from the ship. Hux walked up to him and waited until he raised his head. The miserable, lost expression was still there.

“Get up, their base might have already noticed something is wrong.”

To his surprise Kylo complied without a fuss. During their trek through Leuka 2’s forest Hux often had to fight the urge to look back at him. Kylo had so much power and yet seemed so powerless. It seemed like somehow the planetary shield above them cut his connection to Palpatine and now Hux was left with a walking disaster instead of a fearsome warrior. Which made fulfilling his plan all more difficult.

They walked and walked and Hux got so used to the shadowy forest that when they stumbled upon a clearing he stopped, momentarily blinded by the sunlight. Before he could blink the brightness away to take stock of the surroundings a voice rang out in an unfamiliar language and then again in the Galactic Basic.

“This is private property!” 

A tall Lekuan was striding towards them but stopped when she got close enough to notice Hux’s uniform. She paled at the sight.

“I mean- sir.” She seemed to gather her wits about her, straightened and continued in a confident tone that did not fool anybody. “It’s good the military is finally here, sir. I mean of course you couldn’t be here earlier- um- it’s good you’ve come to save us from the rebels.”

Hux eyed her doubtfully but decided to go along with the charade. Nodding as if he was satisfied with what he was seeing, he waved towards the nearby cabin and said, “We’d love to listen to your concerns over some caf, citizen, as we wait for the rest of our troops to arrive.”

“Wha- of course, um-“

“Colonel.”

“Colonel, we-I’d be honoured.”

They made small talk as they walked into the cabin with Kylo Ren at their heels. Hux didn’t know what made the Lekuan more anxious – his uniform or Kylo’s foreboding silence. Still, he had to admit that for a civilian she performed admirably. It was a pity he caught her trying to send a message to the Rebellion.

Hux followed her with the lightsaber in hand when she excused herself from main room. He watched unnoticed as instead of preparing caf (like she said she was going to do) she approached a comm booth. Hux moved right behind her, checked if he held the saber properly and ignited it just as she started keying in the receiver details.

Her gasp was barely audible over the buzzing of the weapon. Hux gazed at it in wonder as he stepped back, letting her body fall to the ground. He made a couple of experimental swings before nodding in approval. Perhaps he could try and get one for himself, as a collector’s item of course, there had to be some still to be found on the black market.

“That’s mine.”

Hux turned around abruptly to find Kylo Ren standing in the doorway. **He looked more present** , his posture was still slumped but at least his gaze was clear. Clear and disapproving.

“So it is.”

“Give it back.”

There was a part of Hux that was unwilling to relinquish the weapon – a big part if he had to be honest with himself – and there was also a certain kind of curiosity within him: how far could he push Kylo Ren, unstable as he was at the moment?

It was because of these two foolish thoughts that he said next, “Take it then.”

At first nothing happened and Hux thought that Kylo climbed back into his shell, but then he felt something tug at the hilt in his hand and then wrench it out forcefully. He watched in awe as the lightsaber flew into outstretched hand of a very smug Kylo Ren.

After a pregnant pause Hux said, “There should be another one; we need to kill them too.”

“I can sense her.”

“Good. Kill her and bring the body here.”

After they had successfully hid the bodies of the Lekuans Hux went through the cabin, stuffing his backpack with all the food that looked like something that wouldn’t make them sick. There were no weapons which was unfortunate – he had hoped a pair of farmers living so far from civilization would keep something on hand. But he found something else that lifted his spirits: behind the cabin, grazing inside a high-fenced pen, there were two dinosaurs - a Parasaurolophus and a Nasutoceratops(if he remembered right, though he had never been good at zoology).

The important thing was that they would get him and Kylo faster to their destination as dinosaurs were a popular mode of transport in this part of the galaxy due to their telepathic abilities. He mounted the bigger of the two, not leaving Kylo any room for discussion, and led them back into the forest.

===

Just as Hux suspected, by nightfall the Imperial attack turned into a siege. The flashing lights in the sky became less frequent – the fight above was quieting down. There would be no quick end to the conflict unless Hux succeeded in his plan to destroy the ion canon that prevented the Imperial forces from landing. It was a suicide mission but Hux could see no other alternative. They were stuck on Lekua 2 until they were either found by the rebels or rescued by the Empire, and they couldn’t be rescued if the ion canon kept anyone from landing. Also, there was always the possibility that the Emperor would give the order to use the Death Star; although he probably wouldn’t do that if it meant killing his apprentice, or so Hux kept telling himself.

Lekua 2 had no moon and when the last of its suns set it got so dark Hux could barely see the end of his nose, and that was only because some of the undergrowth plants were translucent. They stopped for the night and Hux quietly thanked the stars that the nights in this part of Lekua weren’t much colder than the days.

Since Kylo had reverted back to his uncooperative self Hux had to secure the dinosaurs by himself. He wasn’t entirely sure if tying them to a tree was a good idea – they didn’t discuss that sort of thing in the Academy.

“Should I give them something to drink?” he asked Kylo offhandedly, not expecting an answer.

Hux couldn’t see him in the dark, but he could feel his presence behind him. He wondered if Ren could see better than him due to his powers. He wondered if he would get a straight answer if he asked. Lighting up the ground with the holomap he had taken from the rebel ship, Hux found a relatively shrubbery-free spot on the ground and settled there with his bag. After he heard no movement from Kylo he sighed audibly and said, “Come sit then, you must be as tired and sore as I am.”

Just as Hux had thought – Kylo seemed to know exactly where he was because after a brief silent pause he moved and sat down right next to Hux without hesitation.

Hux supposed it was only fair that the food from the cabin tasted so horrible he had trouble keeping it down. He glanced at silent Kylo but only saw the outline of his face – Hux suspected he was accustomed to the food served at the Imperial Palace, not cuisine of Lekuan farmers but there was nothing that would indicate how he felt about their meal.

“You reckon, what are the chances of Palpatine giving the order to blow this planet to smithereens with you on it?” Hux shrugged when he felt Kylo staring at him. “I want to know if there’s a point in getting my hopes up.”

“My Master-“ Hux forced himself to stay still when Kylo broke off. Never let it be said he wasn’t capable of being patient. “I don’t know. I can’t feel him.”

“You can’t feel him. He can’t feel you. He might think you’re dead already. Excellent.”

The silence that followed was answer enough. Hux sighed loudly, refusing to let the panic take control. He was an Imperial officer, he’d been in a hopeless situation before and came out of it alive. And even if he were to die on this planet he was going to do so with dignity. Giving in to an anxious urge, he checked the map for the last time before settling in for a long night ahead.

===

At first Hux thought he was back on Askaela and cold dread settled over him as he realized he had fallen asleep while on watch. What if someone, _something_ , sneaked pass when he was sleeping? Was there even a point in going back to the camp? What would he find there if he did? Mangled remains of his unit?

He shook his head in exasperation. What nonsense, everything was fine; he just dozed off for a few ticks that’s all. What was the time anyway? He made a move to check his holochrom and then realized he barely could see anything; and what he _could_ see looked nothing like Askaela. Too many trees and not enough duracrete. 

Then he remembered the mission, the crash, the farmers. They stopped for the night because even the dinosaurs couldn’t see the path ahead and Hux had decided to take the first and only shift as Kylo laid down on the moss-covered ground without a word. Which was fine with Hux who wouldn’t have trusted him to keep watch anyway.

He realized _what_ had woken him as Kylo let out another pathetic moan. Hux watched him toss and turn in a dim light of some local translucent shrub and wondered what nightmare could plague one of the most feared beings in the Galaxy. Then again, Kylo Ren turned out to be different than expected. It was easy to forget how dangerous he could be after seeing how pitiful he really was under that mask of his.

Hux’s decision to let him have his nightmare was soon changed by a sound of an engine somewhere not far away from them. To make matters worse, Kylo chose that moment to start yelling in protest, waving his arm around as if trying to push away a phantom attacker. So Hux did the first thing that came to his mind – which in hindsight seemed like a terrible idea that almost resulted in his death – he covered Kylo’s mouth with his hand and tried to wake him.

He didn’t remember the moment he was flipped on his back, nor the moment when a pair of hands gripped him by the shoulders, pinning him down.

One moment he was telling Kylo to keep quiet and the next he was flat on his back with his heart in his throat. He couldn’t see a thing so he wasn’t certain what exactly had happened next, all he knew was that suddenly there was a pause in Kylo’s ragged breathing and a small voice asked, “Hux?”

The hands disappeared, but the shadow blocking all light didn’t move.

Hux took few measured breaths to calm his nerves.

“Keep your voice down,” he snapped in a whisper. He sat up pushing blindly at the man above. “I think I’ve heard a speeder close by. Couldn’t have your mewling draw somebody’s attention.”

“I had a dream.”

“So I gathered.”

“I don’t usually dream. I only get visions.” Hux didn’t know how to respond to that but Kylo didn’t seem to expect any kind of answer because he continued without prompting. “I was a little boy and… there were people, they kept trying to tell me something but I couldn’t hear them. They followed me everywhere, looking at me pleadingly. They wouldn’t let me go.”

As far as nightmares went it didn’t seem too bad, but then again if Kylo had never dreamed before it was justifiable that his first bad dream would leave him shaken. Without thinking, Hux raised his hand and patted Kylo awkwardly on the arm. Unfortunately, the fool decided to treat it as an invitation for furtherfamiliarityand laid back down with the top of his head pressed against Hux’s thigh. Hux froze in discomfort but Kylo either didn’t notice or flat out ignored it. Both seemed equally probable.

“He always blocked them. The dreams.”

Against his better judgement, despite the awkwardness he felt, Hux asked quietly, “Why?”

“Said they don’t matter. They would only distract me.”

“From what?”

“The force, I suppose.”

“What about before? Before you became his student?”

“Apprentice. There is no before.”

“Oh.” A vision of little Kylo standing in front of the Emperor in the grand throne room of the Imperial Palace came to Hux’s mind. The little boy looked lost and vulnerable. Something in Hux wanted to snap at him, tell him to stand straighter, to wipe that pout off his face. “Is Palpatine your father?”

“What?!” Kylo turned his head up and frowned. “Of course not. Why would you even ask?”

“A guess. It’s not like anyone else lives in the Palace.”

“How would you know?”

“Touché.” Hux couldn’t get rid of the thoughts of young Kylo wandering the empty corridors of the Imperial Palace. Far away from prying eyes, away from everyone who wasn’t his _Master._ “So who are your parents then?” Kylo shrugged and turned away. “You don’t know?” Another shrug. “You’ve never wondered?”

“Yes. No. I- doesn’t matter. I have my Master.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

Then Hux did something so stupid and irresponsible that few hours later he still couldn’t believe he had done that.

“I helped someone murder my father,” he said and told Kylo the whole story of how Phasma had joined Brendol’s program, how Hux resented his father and how the Captain approached him with a plan and a deadly beetle in her pocket.

“The dark side would be strong with you.”

“Is that a complement?”

“You have a lot of anger.”

Hux huffed in amusement. Kylo smiled back as if he was uncertain how to do it. It looked painful and Hux felt embarrassed on his behalf. What a helpless little thing, he thought. So dangerous, so powerful, and yet so… graceless.

This time Hux managed to keep awake until dawn. He didn’t know if Kylo slept and didn’t dare to look to check, but every time he changed position Kylo moved too; always touching Hux in some small way. And Hux… well, he had no idea why and he refused to analyse it, but he let him.

By the time the second sun rose, Hux was quite certain his worries were not unfounded. There ought to have been squadrons searching for them day and night – even Rebels weren’t stupid enough to ignore the danger posed by enemy roaming free on their territory. Yet, there was no sign of so much as an ordinary patrol unit; the speeders Hux had heard were the only indication he and Kylo were not alone in the woods.

Even with Kylo’s powers restored, they were an easy prey. Setting up a trap for the two of them seemed like a wasted effort, but not to the Rebels apparently. Did they know of his plan? Hux rather hoped they would assume he and Kylo were waiting out the siege in hiding, not actively trying to break the stalemate. Perhaps he had underestimated the rebel authorities.

Naturally, Kylo was no help at all. When asked about any visions or feelings he might have had, he frowned and then glared at Hux for daring to ask. Hux gave him a rodian salute in response which went over his head because no one in the Galaxy had ever dared to gesture rudely at Kylo Ren.

When the silence and the anxiety started driving him mad, Hux slowed down his Parasaurolophus so he could ride beside Kylo.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

Stars. What a terrible way to start a conversation.

“I speak with my Master.”

“Only him?”

“And the droids.”

Again, an image of little dark hared boy wandering about empty corridors in the restricted parts of the Imperial Palace flooded Hux’s mind. Only now there was a droid trailing behind him. No wonder Kylo grew up to be absolutely useless.

“Makes for a riveting conversation I bet.”

“You’d be surprised.”

Hux huffed amused, then asked the question that had been bothering him ever since they crash-landed, “So what now that you’ve saved me?”

“I haven’t. Not yet.”

Hux looked at him puzzledly but Kylo didn’t elaborate even when Hux asked him to. Several times.

Fighting back the urge to strangle him, a commendable accomplishment all by itself, Hux tried to fill the silence again.

“Where did you get your weapon?”

Kylo looked down at the lightsaber clipped to his belt, he seemed surprised it was still there.

“I made it.”

“You made it?”

That was certainly not the answer Hux expected. The whole Galaxy was convinced all Jedi lore died alongside the corrupt order, never to be talked about except behind the closed doors belonging to wealthy and influential memorabilia collectors. For a brief moment Hux entertained the thought of asking Kylo to make one for him, then he remembered that their chances of getting off this planet alive were almost non-existent.

“You wouldn’t know how to use it.”

Ignoring his suddenly fast beating heart, and how Ren just answered a question he hadn’t voiced, Hux said, “Seemed pretty straight-forward to me when I used it to kill the farmer.”

Kylo scoffed. “Beginner’s luck.”

“Then perhaps I should try again, we’ll see who’s right.” Kylo pressed his lips together and said nothing. “No? Scared I would show you up?”

Kylo waved his hand and suddenly something slammed into Hux’s side, almost making him fall off the Parasaurolophus. He clung to the harness and yelled after Kylo who overtook him and was now riding ahead, “Slow down you dimwit! You don’t even know where we’re going!”

“I know exactly where we’re going, _Colonel.”_

Oh kriff him, thought Hux and hurried his dinosaur to catch up.

===

Hux felt almost relived when they stumbled across an unmapped outpost; then quickly changed his mind as he had to hurriedly slip off the dinosaurand hide behind a nearby tree, his mount running away the moment his feet touched the ground. Hux cursed his luck trying to come up with some kind of plan. Then he heard a sound that made him smile – a hum of a powered lightsaber.

He watched as Kylo Ren strode towards the rebels, stopping a blast mid-air and releasing it as soon as he passed it. Even though Hux had seen him do it before, and with much larger projectiles, the sight of such _power_ made his heart beat faster. A part of him was jealous he never could do anything like it, he certainly would have used this power far more effectively. But this jealousy was easy to contain and admiring was close enough to satisfy him for the moment.

Despite the fact that he should have used that time to try catch his runaway ParasaurolophusHux stayed rooted to the spot, watching in awe as Kylo Ren eliminated the rebel soldiers one by one. With just a wave of his hand Ren flung a rebel against her comrades, another he cut in half without a backward glance. He moved with ease, dodging the blasts shot his way and stopping the ones that got too close. One of the rebels screamed and turned to run but Kylo Ren tripped and dragged him closer with the force.

It was as if the awkward and confused Kylo never existed.

When all soldiers were dead Ren powered off his lightsaber and turned around expectantly.

Hux tried to regain his composure – he took a few measured breaths, straightened his uniform despite it being unsalvageablly wrinkled, and briefly touched his cheeks to somewhat cool them down– in order to look as unaffected as if what he had just witnessed did not cause the blood to course faster through his veins. Not even a little.

“Oh kriff it,” he muttered to himself and started walking.

From the hands of a dead rebel he picked up a promisingly looking assault blaster-rifle and checked how much cartridges were left in its chamber. He nodded to himself emphatically and only then looked at Kylo. Who was grinning cockily.

“Still want to _show me up?_ ”

Hux rolled his eyes at him.

“So. This time you’ve managed _not_ to blow up every power source in the vicinity. Well done.”

His comment didn’t have the desired effect, on the contrary – it only made Kylo grin harder. Hux huffed in annoyance but said nothing (lest he gave the sithspit satisfaction) and looked around the camp in search of a vehicle of any kind. As his rotten luck would have it – there was none.

===

It was getting darker by the minute when they found what seemed to be an abandoned hut of a kaava miner. The windows were nailed shut and the door made an awful screeching noise when pushed but it had been built on a hill that provided an advantageous view of the area and, if he had to be honest, Hux rather enjoyed the thought of sleeping in a bed. His body was aching all over from spending two consecutive days riding a dinosaur and he was exhausted. They would be arriving to their destination the next day and there was a trap waiting for them, of that Hux was sure. He might as well be well-rested when he sprung it.

They left the dinosaurs in a cave at the foot of the hill. Hux left the matter of tending to them in Kylo’s hands and went to have a better look at the hut. It was nothing special, a small building obviously designed to accommodate only one person. There was a wooden bench standing next to the entrance with planks so rotten Hux was surprised it hadn’t fallen apart already; but the power generator he found next to the mine shaft couldn’t be more than few years old. Inside there were only two rooms, one of which was a refresher, Hux thanked all the stars in the galaxies when the sanistream worked on the first try.

He was putting on his freshly laundered uniform when Kylo finally made it to the hut. He stopped in the centre of the room with arms full of peculiarly looking plants, took in the little kitchenette, the bed standing in the corner, the table on which Hux had unpacked the contents of his bag, and frowned.

“Nothing like the Palace?” Hux couldn’t help but tease.

“I am used to harsh conditions.“

Ignoring Hux’s disbelieving snort, Kylo walked into the refresher.

To busy himself with anything that wasn’t the thought of odd it still seemed to him that the Kylo Ren did something so mundane as showering Hux picked up one of the plants Kylo had brought and sniffed it. Hux didn’t know if it was bad or good – he spent most of his life eating bland food served by military chefs and when on shore leave he either heated up some meal packets he had taken with him off ship or stepped into the first restaurant he encountered. He had never suffered from food poisoning which was surprising because some of these establishments had a questionable approach towards sanitation.

“What is it?” he asked when Kylo emerged from the fresher after what felt like hours.

“It’s not poisonous.”

“How do you know? You’ve had it before?”

“I just do.”

“Through the force?”

“No. I just- I just do, okay?”

Kylo looked at him sullenly and Hux decided to let it go but waited for him to bite into one of the leaves first before plucking one for himself and chewing it unenthusiastically. Thankfully, the plant tasted just as it smelled. After checking if the stem held any surprises – it did not – Hux left Kylo to his plant and opened a tin with something that looked a little bit like Oojo – his father’s favourite dish which was served at the Academy every week – but tasted nothing like it. Nevertheless, Hux tried not to look to long at the bits of meat dipped in blue-and-purple sauce lest it stuck in his throat. He ignored Kylo’s stare; and how he smiled slightly, strangely.

The semi-darkness of the hut made basic maintenance of his blaster difficult but he didn’t dare stay outside for longer than necessary. Especially after he wouldn’t let Kylo meditate there, forcing him to sit in a corner. At first the deliberate breathing and sudden calmness made Hux feel uneasy but after few furtive glances, which earned him a rebuke from Kylo, he got used to the silence that settled in the hut.

Hux checked his blaster four times, packed and repacked his bag before finally making the decision to stop being ridiculous. He stood up from his chair, took off his boots and jacket, deliberately ignoring Kylo who still sat motionlessly in the corner of the room. Hux got under the musty blanket he had found in a box under the bed and turned his back on the room. Forcing his body to relax muscle after muscle he finally fell asleep.

When he woke up the room was pitch-dark and there was somebody laying behind him.

He wondered how long he had been sleeping and how much time he had left. He wasn’t sure if it mattered. There was nothing for him to do before everything was over – except lay here in this bed with one of the most feared people in the Galaxy beside him. Even when on Coruscant, he was at a loss to know what to do with the time he had left before the imminent execution. It really didn’t matter anymore. There was no one he wanted to say goodbye to, there was nothing he had to do.

“You think you’re going to die tomorrow.” Kylo’s voice sounded clear, it didn’t fit the darkness and the heavy air that surrounded them. 

“Are you reading my thoughts?”

Hux really should have been bothered about it, perhaps he would have if it were a different day, in different circumstances.

“No.” Kylo huffed, amused. “That’s not how the Force works.”

Hux hummed noncommittally.

“Sometimes I just know things, feel them. I can’t hear your thoughts but I know what you are thinking about.” The mattress dipped as Kylo mirrored Hux’s position, then he put a hand on Hux’s shoulder and turned him on his back. Hovering above, Kylo said, “You’re not going to die tomorrow.”

“Is that another one of your hunches?”

“Yes.”

Hux heard Kylo shift beside him. Then he felt fingers grazing his ear, he breathed in deeply as they moved to the line of his jaw, down to his throat and back up.

Oh.

_Oh._

Admittedly, he _had_ thought about it.

He did not think Kylo would – he was so… unworldly.

Feeling like he should do something, Hux resumed their conversation. “Like the one that you have to save me?”

The fingers made their way to Hux’ lips and traced them lightly before being replaced by Kylo’s lips. It was a quick, chaste kiss, unlike what Hux had expected. 

“One day.”

The next kiss lasted far longer, clearing Hux’s head a little bit more. This time Kylo didn’t move quite as far away but stayed close, the tips of his hair brushed against Hux’s face, irritating him.

“From what will you save me?”

“We’ll see.”

It was hard to decide whether it was sad or ridiculous that even though Hux didn’t believe a word Kylo said, it still made him feel… warm. Calm. With every passing second the sunrise was drawing nearer and so was the mission Hux set before them. Very little really mattered.

Next time Kylo leaned in Hux put a hand on the back of his neck and kept him in place, deepening the kiss. 

There was no room for thoughts of impending doom in Hux’s head as he carefully stroked Kylo’s chest. So Hux forgot about all of it.

He tangled his fingers in Kylo’s hair, not letting him move farther than few inches. He helpfully raised his torso and hips when Kylo tugged at his clothes and allowed him to pin his hand back to the mattress when he tried to undress him in return.

“Not yet.”

He said nothing when Kylo started kissing a trail from his lips down to his fingertips. It was odd, but then he didn’t expect normal from this.

Hux allowed himself to be moved and touched however and wherever Kylo wanted without trying to speed things along. He kept his eyes closed and let himself enjoy the feeling of Kylo’s hands and mouth all over his body. No one had ever taken so much… care when touching him. It made him feel light-headed.

The loud moan he made when Kylo’s hand had finally wound its way to his cock was embarrassing. Hux tried to cover it up by raising his head and kissing Kylo needily but had a feeling he failed. 

Hearing his own heart hammering, Huxbit his lip to stop himself from doing it again when Kylo slowly but deliberately started mouthing a way down his torso. Hux grabbed Kylo by the shoulders, looking for some kind of purchase, and realized that he was still dressed.

 **“** This is un- oh. Fuck. Ah. Unfair. You- Don’t stop,” Hux whined.

“You wanted me naked.”

Hux nodded eagerly and helped Kylo out of his top and then his pants, groping blindly for his cock and smiling triumphantly when Kylo let out a groan after he stroked it.

He pushed Kylo back reversing their position. With his knee he nudged Kylo’s tighs apart and settled between them. It really was a pity it was so dark in there. Hux would have loved seeing Kylo like this. Instead, he mapped Kylo’s tighs with his hands. 

After a moment Kylo groaned in frustration and tugged on Hux, making him fall on his chest. 

Hux felt too large for his skin as they rutted gracelessly until both of them came.

Neither of them felt the need to talk as Hux rolled off Kylo and covered them back up with the blanket. Hux also didn’t comment on the fact that Kylo kept tracing his fingers up and down his arm until the moment he fell asleep.

===

Hux was lying on his back, watching the starlight streaking through the slits between the planks that covered the windows when Kylo suddenly woke up with a gasp.

“What is it?”

“Get dressed.”

A cold feeling of dread stirred back awake in Hux. The rebels had found them. They didn’t even get to _try_ to blow up the canon. Hux cursed his luck and the Rebellion as he grabbed his uniform.

“How close are they?”

Kylo stopped fiddling with his boot and looked at him apologetically. Hux cursed. He checked his blaster and waited anxiously for Kylo to finally finish putting his clothes on. Stars, that fool wouldn’t last a week in the military, he thought, then laughed at himself. What did it matter now? They were lucky enough that the rebels were polite enough to wait for them to come out. Ha.

Kylo gave him a concerned look but Hux waved it off. “Let’s just go and have it over with.”

Kylo nodded and with a lightsaber in hand pushed the door open. Hux almost bumped into him as Kylo suddenly stopped two steps in front of the hut. Hux side-stepped him and saw a woman standing few feet away from them. She looked familiar but Hux had trouble putting a name to her face; she must be one of the higher-ranking rebels, he supposed.

What was stranger than the fact that the woman appeared to had come alone and her mere presence had Kylo rooted at the spot was that both her and Kylo suddenly said, “It’s you.”

There was so much amazement in her face that it was hard looking at her so instead Hux studied Kylo who wore an expression of a suddenly enlightened student who found an answer to a problem he had been trying to solve for weeks.

“You know who I am?” asked the woman, her voice shaking with emotion, and once again Hux had the impression he had seen her before. He had heard her speak about something with passion, with grief similar to the one she spoke with now.

“You’re the one that’s been looking for me.”

Hux barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Obviously she was looking for them, they were Imperials who crashed on a planet she was occupying!

“I have. I never stopped.”

Hux thought her response rather odd but it seemed to make sense to Kylo because he asked in a small voice that made Hux feel embarrassed on his behalf, “Why?”

“Oh Ben…”

Right. Hux decided he had had enough of this bizarre conversation. If she was the only person there, then they should kill her and get going, there was an ion canon he wanted to blow up. He took a step forward, the woman’s gaze moved to him and suddenly he knew who she was.

“Kylo, do you realize who that woman is? What’s her name?”

“Kylo?” she echoed. “You’re name isn’t Kylo.”

“It is,” Kylo said in a steel voice.

The woman frowned but didn’t push.

“Kylo,” Hux said because he could and it seemed to pain her to hear that name. “This is Princess Organa.”

“Names don’t matter,” Kylo responded and once again Hux felt like wringing his neck.

When Organa took few hesitant steps forward, Hux realized he had lowered his rifle, he trained it back on her. Suddenly, there was a crack and the blaster broke in half.

“Don’t do that,” Kylo snapped.

The blood in Hux’s veins _boiled_. “What are you-“ he growled.

“ _Please._ ”

“She’s an enemy general, _Kylo_. Why shouldn’t I shoot her?!”

“We’re connected. Through the force.”

“And also,” she chimed in, “you are surrounded by my troops, they would make swiss cheese out of you.”

Hux glared at her for the interruption and grabbed Kylo by the collar, forcing him to turn his gaze to Hux.

“What? You need to save her too?”

Kylo gave him a bewildered look that made Hux want to punch him.

“No, I don’t. She- oh.” Just like that Hux lost all of his attention again. Kriffing hell. “You failed to protect me once.”

“Oh Ben, I’m so sorry. I never wanted-“

“Doesn’t matter now.”

“It does. I’m-“

“Will you finally take us into custody? Or shall we do that for you?” Hux interrupted the loathsome woman before she could embarrass herself any further.

Organa glared at him and if looks could kill he would have been a very dead man. He raised an eyebrow at her and stretched his hands forward expectantly.

“Don’t worry, soldier, I will get to you after I’ve spoken with my son.”

Hux dropped his arms in shock. Her son. Her son Ben. Ben Organa. Stars. Did Kylo know? Hux glanced at him but there was no sign of surprise on his face, he kept on staring solemnly at… his mother. Who had probably known where they were headed and where they spent the night because – just like her son – she could use the Force.

“What do you want from me?”

“I want to take you home.”

Kylo frowned and said nothing.

Hux grabbed his arm and whispered, “ _Kylo,_ what are the chances of you getting us out of this situation?” Kylo gave him an apologetic look. It was the second time that day and Hux found he hated it when he did that. “Great.”

“Sorry. I can’t fight her.”

“Of course you can’t.”

Hux dropped his arm and turned away. His fucking rotten luck, got himself an ally whose mother was the enemy.

“Hux, I’m sorry.”

He gave Kylo a scathing glare that had him look down at his feet in shame.

“They won’t hurt us.”

Hux burst out laughing hysterically and when Kylo made a move to touch him – to do what exactly Hux didn’t care – he slapped his hands away.

“Quite a companion you got there, Ben.”

“It’s Kylo.”

“It’s not.”

“You are a very angry Jedi, your highness,” Hux said in breaks between taking steadying breaths.

“The last Jedi died many years ago, before you were born, probably. His name was-“

“Luke Skywalker, I know.” Organa smiled brilliantly, then frowned when Kylo continued. “My Master told me about him.”

He opened his mouth to say more but Hux beat him to it, every word spoken louder and louder until he was shouting. “No. Shut up, Ren. This conversation is over. Princess, do I need to walk over there and punch you or will you finally order to have us arrested?!”

“Fine.”

She waved her hand and rebels started emerging from trees at the foot of the hill. Hux let himself be handcuffed and escorted to a transporter. 

The holding area of the ship had no viewports so all Hux had left to do was either stare at Kylo who was seated across from him or at their escort. Closing his eyes was obviously out of the question in the presence of enemy soldiers. Well, he said soldiers, more like nerfhearders with guns. They didn’t even have uniforms – only patches with the Rebel Alliance symbol sewn onto civilian clothing. Hux scowled in distaste. At least their weapons were clean and well-maintained, otherwise he would have lost all respect he had for them, and there wasn’t much of it in the first place.

One of the rebels twitched, drawing Hux’s eye and making him glance at Kylo. Which was a mistake. Kylo was drilling holes in Hux’s skull with his gaze. Hux fought back the urge to do _something_ with his face that would show Kylo just how much he hated him at the moment. But there was no point, was there? He probably already knew.

Hux wondered what would happen to him after they’d arrived to the base. Would they start their interrogation right away? How was their interrogation tech? Did they keep up with the updates or was he going to be tortured by an outdated piece of junk? He didn’t know which would be worse – a droid with perfect torture skills or the one that was mortifyingly bad at it.

“We’ll be fine. I can feel it.”

Hux snorted derisively. “We were dead the moment we landed. It doesn’t matter what happens now.”

“I will protect you. Don’t laugh. You don’t understand.”

Kylo leaned forward straining against the energy link that joined the cuffs of his binders and a power cell in the wall behind him. The rebels trained their blasters on him but lowered them when Organa snapped, “Don’t you dare shoot at him. Relax, he won’t get free.”

Ignoring all that was happening around them, Kylo leaned even closer so that his face was close enough Hux could kiss him if he leaned in too. Only Hux hadn’t moved an inch ever since they boarded.

“I’m going to save you one day, I promised,” Kylo said gently.

Hux didn’t know if it were the words or the tone or the entire situation. He burst into an incontrollable, nervous, hiccupy laughter that had everyone in the transport looking at him with apprehension.

It didn’t feel like the end, which wasreally fucking funny because it obviously _was_ the end. Not for Kylo, perhaps, but for Hux? Definitely. There was still so much he wanted to do. He felt so… young and inexperienced – like a child that had been told the playtime was over. And it was so fucking unfair.

He was so damned scared.

Hux took a deep measured breath before his laugh turned into something more embarrassing and slapped away the hand Kylo stretched his way. Surprisingly, it made Kylo roll his eyes and crack a quick smile.

The door of the transport opened to an empty hangar. Which was odd – a universal truth that one learned at the beginning of one’s military training was that there was _always_ someone hanging around the hangars. The docking bays never slept. Except for now apparently.

They were put on another shuttle, this one a small, short-distance carrier with tinted viewports. Their journey was quick and tense. No one spoke a word until they started slowing down.

“I won’t let you separate us,” Kylo said, visibly gearing up for a fight.

“I know,” Organa responded calmly making her son deflate immediately.

The cellblock was white. It was hard to describe it in any other words. It was a long corridor with white floor, white celling and white walls broken by large sets of transparisteel doors. Hux glanced in few of them as they walked. The cells were small, narrow and rectangular; there were no windows and the light in them was much too bright for comfort. The prisoners all wore identical dark blue uniforms with numbers on the front. They also didn’t so much as glance as the procession passed. The doors must have been semi-transparent – leaving no witnesses of Kylo and Hux’s arrival except for Organa’s most trusted soldiers.

There was no processing, they were not given the dark blue uniforms, nobody collected their samples for basic medical check-up. They walked to the end of the corridor and one of the soldiers opened the door while another released their cuffs. Then, under careful scrutiny of drawn blasters, they were ushered inside the cell. The lock clicked and the door behind them turned opaque.

After confirming that yes, their cell was just as small as all the others they had passed, Hux curled on the small bed and ignored the way Kylo hovered over him, opening his mouth time and time again and then snapping it shut with a hurt look on his face.

Hux’s stomach was tied in a knot by the time the bottom of the door lifted and two trays slid in. The food on one of them was… surprising.

“What in the stars? Is this a joke?” Hux asked before grabbing the other tray – the one that had unidentifiable blobs of different colours on it.

Kylo gingerly picked up a slice of haava fruit and bit into it. “It’s my favourite. My dad used to make it.”

Hux looked at the dinosaur-shaped pieces of fried meat, mashed potatoes, a bottle of Jiva, thin haava slices. He found himself pitying Organa and her desperate attempts to reclaim her son. One should always know when the cause was lost. 

“You’ll be hungry.”

Kylo shrugged and continued devouring the tiny fried dinosaurs. Hux wondered what happened to the Parasaurolophus and Nasutoceratops they stole. He forgot all about them during their arrest. Hopefully, they would just wander off – Kylo probably hadn’t tied them down properly.

The silence was broken by Kylo who, between one fried dinosaur and another, said, “I couldn’t hurt her. The force wouldn’t let me.” Hux didn’t dignify that with an answer. “You don’t believe me.”

“Well, it’s a handy excuse, _Ben_.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“It is your name.”

“It’s not. I don’t…. I don’t even remember being her son. I don’t remember her. There’re just… feelings. Sensations that don’t make any sense.”

Hux fiddled with his sleeve awkwardly. Kylo was making that miserable face again and it was hard to look at him. Hux had never been good at empathy or compassion, mostly he never stopped to consider other people’s feelings and avoided dealing with them like the plague. He had nowhere to run now.

“You _broke_ my gun,” he said just to get Kylo talking again.

“You wouldn’t use it anyway, there was too many of them.”

“You broke my gun, Kylo! I was left defenceless because of you.”

“I’m sorry, I know it’s hard for you, that you hate feeling out of control-“

“You know shit about me,” Hux spat and stomped off towards the bed.

What in the stars was that sithspit thinking? He _knew_ Hux, what a load of crap. They’d just met. Although, Hux probably was the second other person in the Galaxy to have spent so much time with Kylo. He shuddered at the thought.

Quite done with being nice for the day, he ignored the palpable way in which Kylo brooded at the other side of the cell.

===

First came Hux’s interrogators. They didn’t take him away like he had expected them to. They sat on chairs outside of the cell and kept asking him questions until they finally realized no amount of cajoling, bribery, or threats would make him talk. Surprisingly, they did not move on to torture, they simply left with a promise of coming back the next day.

Then a man came to see Kylo. He was tall, with grey hair and a jacket that had seen better days. For the first few seconds he stood in front of now-transparent door, visibly trying to start a conversation somehow and coming up short. Something in his fidgeting resembled Kylo’s awkward fumbling. That observation made what Kylo said next all more ridiculous, but the man seemed grateful to have been saved from actually thinking of something meaningful to say.

“I’m not your son.”

“You are and you aren’t. Sorry. Does that… dunno, hurt your feelings?”

Kylo seemed to actually take a moment to consider his answer. “I don’t know.”

The man nodded. “For what it’s worth – we moved heaven and earth to get you back.”

“But you didn’t.”

“It wasn’t our fault.”

“I’ve waited, you know? For months, even though _he_ told me you wouldn’t come. I still hoped.”

“I’m sorry kiddo.”

“That makes it whole lot better. Thank you, father.”

The man fell silent but didn’t leave. Then, after few false starts and awkward comments, they started talking about card games, of all things, and Hux tuned out their conversation entirely.

Another meal was sent to their cell but this time the contents of the trays was identically bland and unappetising.

When the lights dimmed Hux buried himself under the covers and almost succeeded in ignoring Kylo’s pathetic hovering. Almost being the key word, never let it be said he was not considerate.

He let out an exasperated sigh and scooted as much as it was possible on the narrow bed.

“Fine.”

Kylo didn’t need to be told twice. In record time he stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed. Hux tried to turn his back at him but Kylo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Because there really was no room for it on the tiny bed – and that was the only reason why – Hux didn’t punch him in his sad pathetic face.

“I’m really sorry.”

Hux sighed heavily, already regretting what he was about to say. “I’ve never met my mother, don’t even know what her name was. Or is.” Hux shifted his gaze away when Kylo started stroking his collarbone with a thumb, but did nothing to stop him. “Truth is: I don’t know what I would have done had she turned out to be the enemy.”

“You killed your father.”

“I let Phasma kill him.”

“I don’t see the difference.”

“There is one, trust me.”

“Okay.”

Kylo did not sound convinced but Hux didn’t care – there were fingers moving gently up and down from his navel to the edge of his pants. 

“Hux, do you want to…?”

“There’s a camera above the door.”

“So?”

“Of course you don’t mind that.”

Hux didn’t know why he even expected otherwise. 

There was no harm in indulging himself a little, he thought as Kylo kissed him. It was slow and gentle and very much _not enough._ Still, it made things simpler for a while. There was no danger hanging over his head, quite the contrary – he was safe and not alone. There were warm lips moving against his and hair brushing against his neck and face, a warm body moved under his hands.

Hux remembered himself when Kylo bit his lip. First, he caught the hand that somehow found its way to the inside of his pants and pulled it out; then, he gently pushed Kylo away.

Kylo sat on the heels of his feet looking perplexed.

“No, Kylo.”

“Because of the camera?”

“I’m not an exhibitionist.”

Kylo rolled his eyes. “Can I at least-“

“Can you what?”

Kylo groaned in frustration and pushed Hux flat on his back, then he scooted further down the bed and laid his head on Hux’s shoulder.

“Oh.”

Hux didn’t know how to react. He wondered if he should do something with his arm, put it around Kylo maybe? Kriff, that’s what people in the holovids did, he probably should too.

He congratulated himself when he felt Kylo relax after he had started stroking his back.

He was surprised to find that this whole embarrassing _thing_ they were doing made him feel quite… powerful. Like he had an upper hand **over** the Emperor. In a matter of few days he had managed to connect with his most feared underling, Palpatine was no longer the only person to have some kind of hold over Kylo Ren. Hux was now someone Kylo _needed. Wanted._ Top that old man, he thought and smiled to himself.

Kylo threw his arm round Hux’s waist, intentionally brushing his cock on the way. Hux hissed at the touch and pinched Kylo’s side in retaliation.

“What are you thinking about?” Kylo asked sulkily, probably dismayed he had to actually ask the question instead of using the Force.

“Nothing in particular.”

“Liar.”

“Maybe.”

Kylo sighed and pressed closer, effectively doing away with all thoughts that Hux might have had except the one that reminded him about the bloody camera recording their every move.

===

Hux would never find out if the Rebels were prepared to torture him if he had kept on being uncooperative.

One moment the lights in their cell were working on the day-time setting, the next a distant explosion could be heard and they were surrounded by pitch darkness.

“What was that?” Hux asked sitting up abruptly. They had been dozing off on the bed, waiting for any kind of distraction.

He was already stepping into his trousers when Kylo responded, “The powerplant’s been hit, the base is out of power. How is that possible? I thought there’s a shield.”

“Concentrated firepower may cause a brief failure of a section. A split-second kind of thing.” Hux felt pride swell-up inside him. Take that rebel scum. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

Hux gave up on looking for his jacket in the darkness and felt for the door.

“Leaving?”

“Yes, leaving. The power’s off. This is our only chance.”

There was a rustle and then Hux felt Kylo’s hand on his shoulder.

“Can you feel if there’re guards outside?”

He heard Kylo take a deep breath and then let it out. “I don’t know. Sorry.” 

Well then, they would have to take their chances. Hux pushed the door open. There was no difference between the darkness inside and outside their cell. He closed his eyes trying to remember the layout of the place.

Kylo grabbed him by the arm and tugged, “This way.”

They ignored the confused shouts coming from the cells, and what Hux could promise were footsteps trailing behind them, and walked out of the detention wing. The base was in chaos. It looked as if there were no back-up power generators and the rebels were desperately trying to put things in order without much-needed power. There were people with flashlights running up and down the corridors, every time a rebel got too close Kylo dragged them in another direction and soon Hux had no idea where they were. Surprisingly, it didn’t make him nervous, just slightly irritated – they were wasting a lot of time.

One very confused soldier stopped in the middle of a passage, just a step away from a nook where Hux and Kylo were hiding, and started searching for something in his pockets after putting a flashlight between his teeth.

Hux took a careful look around, making sure they were alone, and jumped the oblivious fool. Rebel’s surprised shout was stifled by the torch in his mouth and Hux made a quick work of bashing his head against the wall several times. He crouched over the fallen body and went through the pockets; taking the gun, spare energy clips, and the torch. Satisfied with his loot he straightened up. He found Kylo staring.

“I really don’t need you all that much,” he said, pleased with himself.

“I can see that.”

“Let’s move. We need to get out before they start looking for us.”

Carefully stepping over the dead rebel’s blood, they went on.

The hangar was all abuzz. It must have been hit too because one wall was missing and there was dying fire and debris laying all about the place. Rebels paid it no mind and X-wing after X-wing took off from the hangar. They slipped outside, snatching two tattered jackets to blend in.

Hot-wiring the hoverbike they found unattended was ridiculously easy – Brendol had one just like it when he and Hux lived on Tanntu for a year. Hux had been about fifteen at the time and very fond of sneaking out at night, he thought himself clever – misbehaving behind Brendol’s back – but as he found out not long before they were to move to another of his father’s commissions: Brendol knew about every single one of Hux’s “trips” and simply didn’t care what he did nor where he went as long as he and the airspeeder were back in one piece in time for breakfast. Sneaking out lost all its charm after that. If it could have ever been called _sneaking._

Just like the facility where they were being kept, the rest of the rebel base was in chaos. People were running, flying, and driving in all sorts of directions, every single one of them so focused on their task that no one looked at Hux and Kylo twice as they zipped on the bike.

The ion canon was standing on the top of the hill at the foot of which the base was located. The hoverbike was not built for travelling at the height that would allow them to fly above the trees so to get to their destination they had to use the transport set up by the rebels.

The firing started when they were half-way through the buffer zone separating the outpost from the base. Hux dodged as many blasts as he could, the rest was stopped mid-air by Kylo. Hux ignored the way some of them stuttered or how close they were when they finally stopped.

The rebels scattered as Hux aimed to park where they were standing. He powered up his blaster and jumped off of the bike with Kylo right behind him. The first Rebel fell to the ground, clutching at her throat, her blaster flew right into Kylo Ren’s awaiting hand. Hux nodded in approval and handed him one of his spare energy clips. First, Hux made sure to damage the comm antennas beyond repair, then they dealt with the guards. It was quick work and Hux was pleased to find they made a fairly good team.

After picking up few more energy clips from the dead they boarded the shuttle pod and took off. There were no seats and they had to hold on as the pod slowly ascended the steep slope of the hill.

“You’re holding it wrong,” Hux said after showing Kylo how to reload his blaster. “That way it’s easy for somebody to wrench it out of your hands and you don’t want that.”

“No one will get close enough to do that.”

“You never know.”

“Yes, I do.”

Hux let out a put upon sigh. “Right. I forgot, you are infallible.”

“I’ll just take another blaster then.”

“That is a stupid tactic.”

The shuttle started slowing down thus putting an end to their inane discussion. They each took a place at the side of the entry hatch with blasters in their hands.

They were greeted with blasterfire. Waiting for it to stop Hux took measured breaths. This was it. He had the chance to avenge his regiment.

Hux smiled when he heard rebel’s uncertain voices. He signalled for Kylo to keep waiting patiently until somebody came to check if they were in the shuttle.

Finally, one daring soldier approached the hatch. Blaster flew from his hands and Hux seized him across the chest, using him as a shield as the rebels resumed fire. Hux returned their blasts and crouched behind a rock when the rebel in his hands yelled and slumped in his arms.

“On three, you start shooting and I run for the door. Got it?”

Kylo nodded obediently. Hux quite liked it. He had never dared dream of ordering Kylo Ren around.

He thanked the stars for adrenaline when it was the time to run. Without stopping, he shot the keypad and barely managed not to faint in relief when the door opened. He did not expect the technicians behind it to be armed. His stomach plummeted when a blast stopped inches from his face, the air around it so hot it burned his face. The one who fired it was already dead, his skull crushed against a wall.

Hux wasted no time on contemplating his luck. He trained his gun on the remaining technician.

“Put the weapon down and you can leave unharmed. You’ve seen what my partner can do. Don’t throw your life away.”

She didn’t waste any time. She dropped the blaster and moved towards the doors with her arms raised. Hux kept her in his sights until she disappeared down the slope. Then he ordered Kylo to close keep watch as he started working on switching off all the safeties and heating up the canon way beyond its capacity.

After doing everything he could to ensure the canon’s destruction Hux stepped back from the control panel.

“There should be a ship here somewhere, for emergency purposes. We need to get to it, fast.”

Kylo nodded and confidently led the way straight to a rickety Lambda-class T-4a shuttle. Hux run aboard and warmed up the engines smiling when he saw that the rebels did not neglect preparing it for a possible quick escape.

Hux wasn’t gentle during the took off and the ship shook when trees scrapped its belly. He ignored Kylo’s complaints and accelerated, hoping they had enough time to get out of the danger zone.

He had hoped in vain.

The explosion veered their shuttle off course and they plummeted towards the ground.

Not this again, was the only thought Hux he had time for before they crashed.

===

There was a high-pitch sound drilling into his brain when he regained consciousness. He was laying on the ground and when his vision finally cleared he could see Imperial ships shooting at the planetary shield without stop. Smoke from the explosion coiled in the air.

Somewhere next to him Kylo groaned. Limb after limb Hux took stock of his body – few cuts and bruises, a broken nose and a ringing in his head that wouldn’t stop, that was lucky.

He turned to look at Kylo. He was faring a lot worse, judging by the piece of metal sticking out of his side. Hux winced in sympathy.

Behind them clouds of smoke were flying out of the shuttle. Hux got up gingerly and walked towards it, ignoring Kylo’s protests. It was probably him that dragged them both out of it.

Hux grabbed a long, thin piece of steel on his way to the cockpit. He wedged it between the ship’s comm unit and the hull, wrenching the device free and pocketed it. Then he swore after checking the fuel levels. The rebels kept the tank nice and full, the explosion would be a big one.

He run back to Kylo and hoisted him by the arm. “Come on, we need to go. And leave that, it stops some of the bleeding. Don’t move your side too much.”

“Hard to do with you dragging me.”

“That thing is about to blow, you want to hang around?”

Straining with effort Hux led them forward. He cursed his sentimentality with every staggering step. When he judged they were far enough from the transport, Kylo was breathing hard and shaking. Hux helped him lay down and sat beside him, bundling his jacket and pressing it against the wound. Kylo yelled in pain.

“Sorry.”

“Pain. Makes. Me. Stronger,” Kylo gasped between laboured breaths.

Hux found it hard to believe but didn’t comment. 

The air tinted pink, signalling the failure of the planetary shield. Hux almost jumped with joy. He grabbed the comm unit and fiddled with it, putting in the details for the Finalizer’s emergency channel.

“This is Lieutenant Colonel Armitage Hux of the X221, regiment TT6 requesting recovery from planetside. I have Kylo Ren with me. Can you hear me, Finalizer?”

Hux’s heart lodged itself in his throat during the few seconds of silence.

“We hear you, Colonel. This is Captain Palova Ma. Do you still have your tracker, sir?”

On reflex, Hux traced his third molar, it was still there.

“Yes.”

“A recovery team is shipping out as we speak, sir.”

“Prepare the med droids. Lord Ren is injured. Out.”

He looked back to Kylo who wore a strange – Hux would even call it frightened – expression.

“What is it?”

“The shield.”

Hux’s heart skipped a beat, but when he looked up the dome was still gradually reducing.

“It’s still coming down.”

“It helped her visualize the barrier.”

“Your mother?”

Kylo shook his head. His face grew pained. Hux grabbed him by the arm but didn’t know what else to do. Kylo kept fidgeting and Hux’s worry grew. Was this some kind of attack?

If Kylo Ren died under his care Hux was finished.

Kylo’s throat clicked as he swallowed. He removed his hand from Hux’s grasp before speaking in a toneless voice, “The Emperor is pleased with your performance, Colonel.”

It felt as if his organs were squeezed by an ice-cold fist. How much did Palpatine know? Was Hux going to pay for all of this? Did he go through ordeal after ordeal only to be executed after all? Kriff. He wanted to scream in frustration.

Kylo squeezed his hand and whispered, “Stop it. You’re making it harder to protect you.”

If Hux were a man to jump for joy he probably would have. Kylo wasn’t entirely under Palpatine’s thrall. Perhaps there was something to be done about it. In a split second Hux had made a decision – he would not let this end like this.

“You need to get a comm when we get back.”

Kylo smiled and nodded.

===

He had to admit – the memorial ceremony was quite beautiful, if a bit long. Thankfully, it was all over and Hux was on his way to his flat. He watched unseeingly as the cab flew through the Coruscanti skyline. In his thoughts he kept going back to his former regiment – he was its only survivor and it made him feel like failed them. Those people were under his command, he should have saved them. Somehow. He should have prevented that stormtrooper from taking down their shields. He didn’t even remember the traitors designation.

He expected there to be some kind of trial, a hearing at least. But there was nothing, he submitted his report and that was it. General Tser told him not to worry about it. Even a promotion was implied.

Palpatine must have been really happy. Hux took good care of his apprentice and even made sure none of their rescuers got to see Kylo Ren’s face – he demanded they stay in the shuttle and operated the hover stretcher by himself. 

Tomorrow Hux was to meet his new regiment. Fresh meat, none of them had ever been in combat before. They were being sent on a scouting mission to a planet in the Unknow Regions. Hux was not looking forward to that mission, but it was a standard procedure for breaking-in new units. Land, set up camp, pacify the locals, protect the scientists as they performed their customary tests, pack up, escort the civilians to the research facility on Tehiri.

Hux started stripping off his parade uniform the moment he was through his door. He longed for a full-night’s sleep. He stopped mid-step when he heard his datapad ping.

There was a new message from an unknown contact. It was a string of unfamiliar symbols and a note: _go straight to the elevator don’t let the droids stop you._ _K._

Alone in his flat, Hux saw no need to fight back a smile as he texted back: _Give me an hour._

In the shower he fantasized about giving Kylo Palpatine’s skull as a name-day gift.

 

 


	2. ART

  
  
  


And the link to the wonderful artist's blog 

**Author's Note:**

> CHECK OUT ART IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!
> 
> Thanks for reading ;)


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